STADCO LIFE-SAVER Mini Traffic Lights being run by a USB to RS-232 Adapter

Описание: Four modified vintage STADCO "Life-Saver" mini traffic lights being run by a PC through a quad USB to RS-232 controller are shown. The modification is that each light's original incandescent bulbs are replaced with LED's which can be driven by RS-232 serial port with no power issues.

The PC is running the Sign Control Program (SCP) which I sell on ebay. An SCP script runs each light as a separate COM port via a quad USB to 9-pin RS-232 adapter. Tx (pin 3) is used in breakmode to light each red light, the DTR discrete (pin 4) is used for each yellow light, and the RTS discrete (pin 7) is used for each green light.

The LED's are from LEDLight.com, p/n 34612R/Y/G with BA9s bases, "Series 1445 Led Bulb Super Flux 6-12V DC". They use a common negative on the traffic light's shell to pin 5. They illuminate when positive is on their center pin, and with the Fresnel lens and the LED lens, they make a nice spot on whatever they're pointed at.

Each positive contact is supplied thru a Schottky 1N4819 diode spliced into the wiring in series with each LED. The diodes pass positive but block negative to protect the LED's against the negative voltages which are output by RS-232 tx and discretes when each light is off.

The quad adapter shown is ASIX based, and CH340's based adapters also work, because they remain in transmit breakmode (sustained positive output) indefinitely. FTDI adapters don't work as their virtual COM driver interface only supports momentary breakmode output which makes holding the red light on continuously problematic.

The stylish stand is a VESA monitor base.